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"Hey, were you born in a barn?" "No, but our broadband was and it kicks butt!" That's B-4-R-N, thank you. Broadband for the Rural North. They have a story to tell, and every community whose broadband and broadband options suck needs to listen to every word.

Their broadband project is so effective B4RN just won the Internet Hero award from the Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA). Eight parishes in the northwest of England united to form a co-op to do what the large incumbent won't. Chris Conder, one of B4RN's key founders, explains how to replicate their success.

B4RN issued stock and sold enough shares to underwrite the initial network buildout. Local farmers literary dig the trenches and place the fiber on their properties. B4RN is selling sponsorships ads on the conduit going into the ground. Local residents run the business and provide B4RN with necessary services.

Once you hear B4RN's story, you realize that any community that wants broadband enough to work many long days and lonely nights can be Internet heroes too.